canon camera book reviews

Canon EOS 30 D Digital Field Guide And Canon Rebel Xti (400D) Digital Field Guide reviews compared

reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Book: Canon Rebel Xti Digital Field Guide
Author: Charles K. Lowrie
Publisher: Wiley
Released: 2007
Pages: 263
$ 20 USA
24 Canada
14 UK
ISBN: 978-0-470-1107-2
Strengths: Full color. Includes information about camera and how to use the camera to make better photographs. I like the second half of the book but not the first. The first part about the camera is missing some visual camera photos and additional information. Good use of tables, colors, bold face, photos and more.
Weaknesses: Some pictures pertaining to the camera are not included ( like where to put the card). There are a lot of “bells and whistles” to understanding what controls can do what and how and when. It was most irritating to have to hunt for the camera’s icons and what they mean. Instead of saying in text what to do, the visual of the camera’s icon would have been far better to include.
Novice/Intermediate

Rating: 4/5

Book :Canon EOS 30 D Digital Field Guide
Author: Charles K. Lowrie
Publisher: Wiley
Released: 2007
Pages: 271
$ 20 USA
24 Canada
14 UK
ISBN: 0-470-053-40-2
Strengths: Full color. One section focuses upon camera information and the second main section using the camera to make better photographs. Tables used for different information and making better and different types of photographs are well done.
Weaknesses: The first part is not as good as the second. The information about the camera is confusing. Information about the camera is confusing at many times.
Novice/Intermediate

Rating: 4/5

These two books are created by the same author. The " look and the feel" of both books are so similar, in so many ways, that I thought it would be more instructive to compare and contrast the two books, the EOS Rebel Xti and the EOS 30D cameras. I am glad I did for several reasons by for myself and for readers who may use either cameras (or in my case the XT which is very similar to the XTi).
It is really nice that both books are in full color. The colorful photos and the screenshots make the instruction and learning an easier one. The white text within the burnt-orange titles on top of the pages give an easy way to find out the content within the book/chapters. The mini- tutorials were numbered and the titles were in bold face. Nice but that did not help much with the understanding of the instructions. I can understand the use of an introduction and quick tour sections within the first part of the books but these created more headaches then being beneficial.
There are some small side notes (within pink small square), cross- reference( light blue) and tip (in light bulb icon) that appear next to the text areas. While these are meant for true informational purposes, some of these helpful- hints take you to other chapters or sections within the book. While there were only a few of these, especially in the introduction and the first chapters, I passed over them as I found these annoying. Little visual cues that were missing, I found were major weaknesses. And I began to see that this very nice looking book had several other weaknesses.
Having purchased a new Canon Rebel XT, I was looking at using these two books to help me learn how to use Canon cameras , especially in terms of all the capabilities that can be used to make better photos. Photographing for many years, including both digital and non-digital camera use, I am aware of what needs to be accomplished with photos (some published as in Astronomy magazine). However there is always room for learning and having used digital cameras for several years, I was looking forward to advancing my skills with the Canon capabilities. An older photographer that also wanted to use and learn about the newer technology
A nice photo of the command dial, used on the Canon camera(s) for making different crucial settings, showed up ( p.2) . But it did not explain, like it should have, what each of the icons meant. I would have liked to see lines that show what each icon meant instead of “hunting.” However (p.4) has a list of these. But a list is not a graphic display and this cross-reference only communicated about one of the dial modes. I won’t go into some of the other wording that I found confusing. But I found more.
Later on with the same page one of the tips (P.4) , has a lengthy set of sentences about changes to the menus and the ISO settings. The text then said “ for other menus, however, be sure to press the Set button to confirm changes that you make.” I was so amazed at this - I just wanted to scream! Looking in the Index, there was no information under “set” or “buttons” for example.
Within the books are 3 parts in 8 chapters. Both books are basically divided into three main sections with the last being an appendix. One sections has information about the camera. The second part deals more with how to make your photos better by using the camera. Both have an introduction which is where some of the problems begin.
Finding the setting that turns off the flash, for example, even if you don’t want the flash to fire, like during a total solar eclipse (which many people still do!). Neither books, showed visual information where the icon on the dial would turn off the flash. There were several instance of the lack of references related to commands, camera functions and more. This non cross referencing I found confusing and not helpful in my quest.
There were more photos of the camera and its sides and features on the 30D book then the Rebel book (p.12-13). The 30D book showed visually where in the camera the Compact Flash card and eject button can be found. The Rebel book did not show this at all. The view of the whole camera and its features is more sparse in the 30D while the Rebel photo shows all the control areas. Both have good visuals of the LCD display screen but cameras have different panel displays. The viewfinder display photos are a little different according to the camera differences. These include lines to highlight what the icons mean and where they are situated. I wondered why the author did not do that with the camera function mode dial settings.
There are some good things. The tables of information for the rest of the book are pretty much the same in each book. These highlight in specific details how to take better photographs according to different setting ( Low-light, Night shots , Action and Sports, Environmental Portrait and more. In many ways, this part of the books, are well done, readable and easy to understand. The trick is that these tutorials do not integrate how to use the cameras to meet those specific photographic needs. It is assumed you already know how to use all the “bells and whistles.” For some of you that might be enough to go on your merry way. For others, you might have to struggle a bit.
Since I have a XT and not an XTi, I wanted to know more about the dust elimination capability so hyped with the XTi. The XTi book focuses 3 pages on it and does a good job. I now know the need for using that function in the Xti to make sure dust not get into your camera or lenses or eliminate them if they do so you create better pictures. I did not get the XTi mainly because of this extra device, and bought the XT instead which saved me possibly a couple hundred dollars. If there was a difference between the Xt and Xti, I did not see it in these books. In fact, the 30D book, had no information about dust elimination or this Xti device/process. So I am led to possibly believe that this device is not needed (until I find out further - any I looked in the book for a Sony digital camera that was not written by the author of these two books).
Finally looking over the Appendix, it was helpful. While the XTi book includes (A) custom functions and (B) Internet resources, 30D has information about RAW images ( in Rebel it is in four separate sections in the book which is maddening) , conversion RAW programs and creating an efficient workflow ( a recent buzzword for making more efficient use of your photographic work).
A guide should be informational, easy to use and very visual in a way that integrates the helpful written material. The structure should be a tutorial based one that guides the user to understanding how to use the device, in this case, the Canon cameras, to take better photos in whatever settings you wish to photograph. I feel the author had noble intentions but the integration was lacking. The techniques are there but how they mesh with the use of the technology could have been much more arrange and displayed in a much more effective means.
If you know how to use the Rebel XT, XTi and/or 30D and want to learn how to take better pictures you might be okay. That second part of the book is solid. Those of you who are trying to learn how to use any of these cameras for the first time and want to learn how to become a better photographer, you might still find the book a good deal. This is true especially if you have the little Canon tutorial (which is very good I must add) that comes with the camera.
I like the second half of the book but not the first. For these books, the price is right if you want to find out how to take better photographs. You might have to “hunt” a little. Like myself , its a matter of time how long it takes for finding the “gizmos” on the camera and then using the skills you might learn to get the expected outcomes. Any new learning, no matter what, has different types of “learning curves” that sometimes make learning easier or more difficult. In this case, these two books, because of the way they are written, make learning about the cameras more difficult, confounding and irritating. Its up to you and your stage of learning with a Canon camera and how to photograph with them, whether one of these books can help you. You make the choice whether you can try this book or another based on this information